Deception
by A Random Story Generator
Summary: Shikamaru waits for Temari at Konoha's gates, but when she arrives her friendly words tear at his heart.  What happened?  And why is Gaara set on razing Konoha?  Watch as the deception surrounding Shikamaru grows, threatening to envelop everyone he loves.
1. Reunion

*****AUTHOR'S NOTE*****

**Hello Dear Reader,**

**I would like to sincerely thank you for reading even a portion of my fanfiction. Before you start, however, I would appreciate a moment of your time. This fanfiction's continuation is entirely dependent on you; if you review, (even if it just contains the word 'More') I will continue to write and update (until the story's finished). In the next few weeks I'm going to have a lot (A LOT) of free time, so I can easily promise a new chapter every two days, likely even more (like I said, lots of free time). So, if you enjoy the story, review! Thank you, and happy reading!**

**Sincerely,**

_**M. Turing**_

*****/AUTHOR'S NOTE*****

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**Chapter 1: Reunion**

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The sun slowly slid below the tree-covered horizon, bathing the dusty streets of Konoha in shadows; Shikamaru felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he leaned even further into the darkness surrounding him.

_She's late…again…_

As the last rays of sunlight vanished, a bell near the center of Konoha rang; once, twice, three times.

_It seems she won't be arriving tonight…and I'll be walking all the way back here tomorrow. What a pain…_

Pushing away from the side of Konoha's gate, Shikamaru lost his inner battle and a small smile appeared on his face

_I should have known she wouldn't be on time_

Shikamaru glimpsed the chuunin ninja guarding the gate beginning to pull the wooden doors closed as he turned lazily in the general direction of his apartment. A few steps later, he heard a soft thud as the doors closed completely. In his mind, he saw two of the chuunin step forward and begin the long series of signs necessary to seal the gate shut.

Without warning, Shikamaru felt a surge of chakra just beyond the gate—accompanied moments later by furious shouts, "Wait God Damn it! I'm not spending another night on the ground! There's a bed and a warm bath waiting for me in there! OPEN THOSE GATES!"

Shikamaru felt the small smile on his face erupt into a grin that threatened to split his face.

_I stand corrected…I should have expected her to show up late, and then force her way in._

Turning back towards the gate, Shikamaru made a conscious attempt to remove his smile and place his hands carelessly behind his head. Despite his best efforts, he found himself smirking as the chuunin by the gate looked at one another in confusion; apparently they had never had to deal with an angry kunoichi ordering them to open the gates when, by all rights, they were closed until morning.

"Kami help you if you don't open these gates in the next 10 seconds!"

Shikamaru picked up his pace towards the gate ever so slightly; he was enjoying Temari's furious threats, but it wouldn't do to have her destroy one of Konoha's main gates.

_Three seconds left…subtracting two to account for Temari's perpetually rushed sense of time meant he would have to act…right about…now_

"Open the gates."

Shikamaru's command held as much authority as he could muster, and was pitched just loud enough that Temari would hear as well. At the sound of his voice, the Konoha shinobi surrounding the gate immediately turned towards Shikamaru, instantly recognizing him as a jounin.

"Shikamaru-san! Of course!"

Shikamaru's smirk only grew as the shinobi guarding the gate let out a sigh of relief at being rescued from their predicament. Two of the shinobi moved to crank open one of the heavy, wood-slated doors as Shikamaru stopped directly behind the gate.

On first hearing Temari's angry threats, he had immediately decided on the best strategy; thus far, it had progressed perfectly. Unable to see the hesitation of the leaf shinobi behind the gate, Temari would only be able to conclude, upon hearing his command to let her in, that he was the reason she would be having her precious bed and warm bath. All that was left was the killing stroke; standing behind the opening gate, Shikamaru allowed his hands to migrate from behind his head to his pockets, assumed a casual pose, and then permitted the smirk on his face to grow even larger.

Outside the gate, Temari tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the damn leaf shinobi to hurry up and listen to—she was unfortunately certain on this point—Shikamaru. She could practically see his arrogant smirk already.

At long last, the gate cracked open, and she was able to make her way through. Glimpsing Shikamaru, she immediately turned towards the nearest leaf shinobi and sent him a harsh glare. Then, without sparing Shikamaru another glance, she walked past him into Konoha.

Shikamaru witnessed the failure of his plan with mixed feelings; it would have undoubtedly been pleasant to stoke Temari's anger further, but there was no one else quite as adept at eluding him—indeed, it was a large portion of the reason he found her company so pleasant. Turning towards her retreating back, Shikamaru allowed himself, for the shortest moment, to admire her receding figure. Even after six years, she still had her hair tied back harshly into four golden ponytails, and her fan strapped securely across her back; her clothing had gradually morphed from the white kimono and red sash of her genin days to the drastically different black kimono and red sash of the present.

_Hmph…at least she's consistent…_

Shikamaru's mind was pulled, not entirely unwillingly, from his amused thoughts to the soft sway of Temari's hips and the brief moments when her toned body would stretch her black kimono taut—revealing, for the barest instance, the subtle curves and hard muscles below. Without warning, Shikamaru felt the knife buried in his heart give a sudden, sharp twist. Mentally berating himself for his masochistic moment of weakness, Shikamaru managed to slowly reform the carefree face he had become known for.

_Troublesome…_

Leaning towards Temari, Shikamaru concentrated chakra into his right foot; stepping forward onto it, he disappeared in a flash of speed. A moment later he stood next to Temari, walking calmly beside her as though she hadn't just ignored his existence.

"Hello, Temari"

Temari turned her sweetest smile towards the leaf jounin, "Shikamaru! Where did you come from?"

Shikamaru nonchalantly placed his hands behind his head, sensing the moment for a bit of revenge,

"Oh, nowhere. I was walking through Konoha, enjoying the night air, when I heard some Konoha shinobi being verbally assaulted by a traveler without the good sense to arrive before sundown."

Shikamaru tilted his head back just far enough to give Temari a small smile, taking the edge of his words.

"Naturally I was concerned by the traveler's behavior and felt the need to protect the shinobi of my village."

Temari allowed her head to roll lazily over her shoulder until she captured Shikamaru's onyx eyes, she again sweetened her voice to the upmost, "You mean you weren't waiting at the gate for me Shi-ka-kun?", Temari punctuated each syllable of his name with a slight widening of her eyes…and the pain in Shikamaru's chest happily reciprocated with a sharp pulse.

After several long seconds staring into Temari's eyes, Shikamaru realized they had stopped walking; worse yet, Temari seemed to be waiting for some kind of a reply.

"Hnn…wouldn't dream of it…", Shikamaru mentally cursed himself for not paying more attention, and abruptly began walking again.

As he walked away, the playful smile faded from Temari's face;

_He still hasn't gotten over me… _

Temari's mouth curved itself into a small smirk

…_maybe this will work…_

* * *

Shikamaru stepped forward and pulled open the door to his house, allowing Temari to enter first. He had offered his home to Temari the first time she had come as an ambassador from Suna, mostly in an attempt to cover up how unprepared they had been for her arrival. Somehow, it had become a small tradition between them, not that he minded; Temari had always been good company…at least until her last visit.

Shikamaru mentally checked the flood of feelings that threatened to overwhelm his senses; now wasn't the time to relive his mistakes. Temari was still a friend, and he wouldn't jeopardize that friendship.

Temari dropped her pack to the floor as soon as she entered, pulling Shikamaru away from his silent reverie. Kicking off her sandals a moment later, she began to run up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"Shika, I'm taking a bath! Do you want to do dinner afterward?"

"Of"—the door to his bathroom crashed closed—"course", the last word died on his lips—audible only to him and the empty entryway.


	2. Defenses

**I don't own Naruto…not even a little…*sob*…**

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**Chapter 2: Defenses**

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For some reason completely beyond Shikamaru's comprehension, Temari had insisted they eat at Ichiraku's—not that Shikamaru had anything in particular against the ramen stand…it was just…not quite the dinner he had been expecting.

"How's Naruto doing?", Temari asked between large bites of steaming ramen.

Shikamaru poked lazily at his own dinner, dislodging a neon pink slice of…something...from its noodley cage.

"Pretty well; he's been training almost non-stop." Temari watched as a ghost of a smile appeared on Shikamaru's face.

"He and Hinata have been spending a lot of time training together lately, so if you get a chance make sure to bring up." Shikamaru raised his eyes to Temari's face just in time to register a mischievous smirk.

"Oh, I definitely will; it's about time that kid got a taste of his own medicine", Temari's face began to take on a sinister aspect as she planned her attack on the unsuspecting Uzumaki.

"Will he be competing this year?", Temari finally asked, returning to her ramen with renewed vigor.

Shikamaru smirked, "I don't think so; if only for the sake of the other competitors. Although his status as a genin is beginning to become a problem…"

"Damn straight it is!"

Shikamaru watched in bemusement as Temari sucked a noodle into her mouth with a very unladylike slurp; finishing, she waved her chopsticks at him authoritatively: "The genin-chuunin-jounin distinction is pointless if there are genin running around with the ability to pound jounin!"

Shikamaru fought desperately not to break into laughter at Temari's antics.

"Still, the only way to achieve the chuunin rank is through the test; you know that."

Temari fixed him with a smile and dropped her voice to a conspiratory whisper, "Why not make him a jounin?"

Shikamaru allowed a small amount of confusion to show on his face, "I didn't think that was possible…

Temari lifted her bowl to her lips and downed what little remained of her ramen; "It was Gaara's suggestion, you'd have to ask him".

Shikamaru visibly paled at the Kazekage's name, "I think I'll pass. I don't particularly want to die."

Temari gave him a glare that would have killed a lesser man, "He had a rough childhood, give him a break; besides, he's been steadily improving ever since he met Naruto."

With a sigh, Shikamaru returned to poking his ramen.

'_When did things get so complicated?'_

A sudden softening of Temari's voice recalled Shikamaru from his thoughts, "You alright Shikamaru? You seem a little off; one second you're laughing, and the next you look like someone punched you."

Shikamaru could have sworn his heart hurdled out of his chest and made a solid escape down the street. Taking a long moment to stare into the darkness outside the incandescent ramen stand settled his mind enough to respond, "I've just been under a lot of stress lately; I probably just need to get some sleep".

Temari's frown made it clear she didn't believe his excuse in the slightest. "Would you like to head back?"

Shikamaru was in no hurry to get home, but the cool night air would help to calm his pounding heart.

"Yeah…let's go"

At his assent, Temari pushed her bowl forward, stood, and began walking out of the ramen stand.

"I'll meet you out front!"

_' I'm sorry Temari, but I need to deal with this by myself. ' _

"Arigato, Ichiraku-san", Shikamaru said with a nod in the owner's direction, putting down enough money to cover both his and Temari's dinner.

"Nara-san, would you like to take the rest with you?", Teuchi briefly inclined his head to where Shikamaru's bowl sat, barely touched.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine" Shikamaru replied, quickly turning to join Temari on the dark street.

"Shikamaru, you're such a gentlemen! Paying for my dinner like that!"

Shikamaru didn't even attempt to stop his incredulous snort, "Temari, we both know you had absolutely no intention of paying for dinner yourself."

Temari only confirmed his suspicions by flashing him a wide grin.

The walk back to Shikamaru's apartment was uneventful; the conversation between the two ranged over the upcoming Chuunin exams, recent threats, and finally ended on mutual friends. Walking up to his door, Shikamaru removed his key from a pocket hidden in his leaf-green vest.

"Tomorrow we have a lunch meeting with the Hokage, and then we need to start going over the preparations for the exam. Ibiki has already volun—"

"SHIKAMARU. Open the damn door; you can tell me about it tomorrow morning"

With a sharp pull opened the door to his apartment, allowing Temari to enter.

"Just don't be late."

Placing his sandals next to the door, Shikamaru walked past Temari and up the stairs towards his bedroom. Temari, much in the same fashion as she had done earlier in the day, kicked her sandals off violently—sending one to lay next to Shikamaru's and the other to whiz past the leaf jounin's left ear.

"Troublesome woman…"

Shikamaru's head snapped back a second later as Temari gave a sharp tug on his ponytail.

"Shut up cloud-boy"

Despite the whirlwind of emotions he'd been feeling since she arrived, Shikamaru began to relax into the comfortable banter with Temari. It was more like a long memorized dance, than an argument; all the insults had long ago lost whatever sting they had originally possessed, each one was instead a reminder of different conversations and memories—all of them happy. It was a safe place where he could finally relax.

The back and forth between the shinobi quieted as Shikamaru reached his room, "I'll see you tomorrow Tema-"

"Actually Shikamaru, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a few minutes", Temari's words shattered the comfortable rhythm of the earlier insults; her voice was soft, pitched to imply that the conversation would be a deep, personal one.

"...No problem…", Shikamaru hesitated near the lamp in his room for an instant before deciding that he would prefer the dark. Stripping off his vest, Shikamaru moved to sit on the nearest edge of his bed; lazily kicking an old shirt out of the way.

Temari entered the room on Shikamaru's heels, pausing in the entranceway to examine Shikamaru's room.

'_Chaos…an ever so slightly organized chaos…'_

Clothes lay haphazardly across the floor; in the corner furthest from her sat a pile of ninja gear while the corner opposite it held a desk surrounded by several stacks of books and scrolls—each one nearly waist high. Shikamaru's bed sat halfway between her and the ninja tools, draped in sheets darker than the multitude of surrounding shadows.

Shikamaru's sudden movement snapped Temari's attention back to him-a glance that quickly turned into much more as her eyes roamed hungrily over his back. The leaf jounin had finally removed his bulky vest, and underneath he wore a tight, black mesh shirt that clung to every muscle on his lean torso. Temari bit her lip, vainly attempting to suppress the heat pooling between her legs. Only when Shikamaru had seated himself on the bed and faced her could Temari clear her mind enough to race through what she wanted to say. Walking across the room she let her eyes inspect its contents further,

"You have a copy of the Leaf's bingo book." Picking it up, she scanned the remainder of the desk; on it were rosters, maps of the terrain around the leaf village, and schematics for most of the town.

"Are you working on Konoha's defenses?", she asked, turning to face him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah; Tsunade seems to think we should have a detailed plan for every possible attack…"

"It can't hurt to prepare for at least the likely ones"; placing the bingo book back on his desk, Temari picked up the desk chair and walked back towards Shikamaru, placing the wooden chair in front of him and seating herself.

"Shikamaru…I'm sorry about what happened last time. I should have stopped you sooner."

Unable to meet Temari's eyes, Shikamaru felt himself scrutinizing his hands, "It's not a problem Temari; you were right. What I did was out of line and jeopardized both of our lives, not to mention the trust of our villages. You don't need to worry…even if it could, it wouldn't happen again. I'm sorry…for everything…"

The longer Shikamaru talked, the more Temari felt the weight in her abdomen grow; she had known it would take Shikamaru awhile to recover, but…he hadn't healed at all. He looked like a pale silhouette of his former self; having her there must be killing him even more than she had noticed, "Shikamaru…"

Raising his head for the first time, Shikamaru easily read concern in Temari's eyes; "I'm fine Temari; you don't need to worry". Shikamaru found himself musing over whether his words rang as hollow in Temari's ears as they did in his own.

"I'm so sorry Temari", despite his best efforts Shikamaru felt a tear burning a path down his cheek.

With this, Temari stood. It was clear that Shikamaru was in no shape to hear what she had planned to tell him. With a soft sigh, she turned and left Shikamaru alone in his room; never once glancing back towards the fallen ninja, the man she had broken.


	3. Memories

**Author's Note:**

**Hello Reader!**

**Sorry this has taken so long; thanks to Jacky D. Blade and Jess whose reviews got much of this chapter written, as well as darkcalling and Master Doc that got my lazy butt off of WoW to finish it. This chapter is where the story starts to earn its 'M' rating, so don't let any little kids read. As always I don't own Naruto. Please review! I'm serious about those reviews convincing me to write more!**

**See you space cowboy,**

** M. Turing**

**/Author's Note**

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****Chapter 3: Memories**

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It had been hours since Temari left his room; the moon had long ago crested in the sky, and was steadily marching towards the horizon. Lying on his bed, Shikamaru was as awake now as he had been the moment she left; the events of that horrible trip replaying continuously in his mind.

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_Three Months Earlier…_

A lone figure raced across the blazing desert that separated the Fire and Wind countries, brown cloak billowing behind him as he ran full tilt towards Suna. Toping one of the numerous waves of sand, Shikamaru allowed himself to stop for a moment's rest. Overhead the sun beat down relentlessly, lashing out at any portion of his body not covered or hidden in shadow. With a sigh he pulled the white cloth covering the lower half of his face away from his sweat soaked skin—enjoying the taste of air unfouled by the damp cloth.

A sudden gust of wind whipped his cloak over his shoulder—threatening, for a moment, to compromise his balance and plunge him down the other side of the dune. Replacing the cloth over his mouth and nose, Shikamaru turned to face the reason for his impromptu sprint across the desert. In the distance, a low haze completely obscured the horizon—a wall of sand from the desert floor to the clouds above.

'_This was supposed to be an easy, relaxing trip; no fights, no explosions, just a slow pace and open sky.'_

Shikamaru's eyes refocused on the horizon. The storm was moving very quickly; he had perhaps fifteen minutes before it reached his current position. If he kept the same pace as earlier, he might be able to add another five minutes worth of distance before the storm completely destroyed any hope of travel. Turning in the opposite direction, Shikamaru could see the very beginnings of the rock cliffs surrounding Suna—perhaps seven miles away.

'_This'll be close…'_

With that thought, Shikamaru launched himself off the dune, his cloak once again flaring behind him despite the stiff breeze assaulting his back. As the desert floor raced towards him, Shikamaru began to concentrate a small amount of chakra into his feet. Walking on sand, he had found, was not all that different from walking on water. Left alone, the fine grains were easily pushed aside by his weight, and walking—much less running—became a tiring and labor intensive exercise. By using his chakra to subtlety disperse his weight, he could run nearly as fast on the shifting dunes as in the forests around Konoha.

The miles slowly fell before Shikamaru's blistering pace; after only three he could feel his heart pounding relentlessly in his chest and his lungs burning from a horrible combination of sand, sweat, and exhaustion—and, behind him, the sand storm swept ever closer. As if sensing his desperate flight, the storm had picked up speed, and was now closing the distance between them at a frightening rate.

'_Not good…'_

The thought had taken on the role of a mantra in his mind; every time he considered his position, it had become even more precarious. His chances of reaching Suna were dwindling steadily, and it was already too late to look for shelter. If the storm caught him, he would be forced to wait it out on the exposed desert floor, possibly for days, or risk losing his way in the blinding sand. Both options loomed far more ominously than Shiamaru would have liked.

'_Not good at all.'_

Despite his body's complaints, Shikamaru forced himself to run faster; the fourth and fifth miles disappeared in a haze of sweat and pain. Topping yet another of the endless dunes, a sudden blast of sand-choked wind slammed into his back, flinging him over the side of the dune.

Shikamaru landed with a grunt of pain, and the world in front of his eyes swam, his head slowly sinking down onto the hot sand.

'_I need to keep going…I can't stop here…'_

Despite his thoughts, Shikamaru felt his body shutting down, succumbing to exhaustion. The cliffs before him had been steadily growing, but he was certain there were still at least two miles separating him from safety—an unconquerable distance in his present condition. As what little determination he still held slowly drained from his body, Shikamaru felt sleep beginning to cloud his mind…and a nagging feeling that he had missed something holding it back.

With a sigh, Shikamaru gave in…and started replaying the last few seconds over again in his mind, looking for what important fact he had failed to consciously note.

He found nothing. Turning his body to further shield his face from the impending storm, Shikamaru whinced as pain flared in his chest.

'_Damn that hur—'_

His oversight blossomed in his mind in all its glory. When he had hit the sand, it had hurt. While the dunes were high, falling into the fine-grained sand should have absorbed most of the impact. Reaching out his hand, Shikamaru plunged it into the sand—hitting solid rock after only three inches.

'_I'm almost there; I must be within a mile'_

Leveraging his fist buried in the sand, Shikamaru rose to a knee, then slowly to his feet—staggering slightly as his muscles protested the sudden return to activity. Gritting his teeth, Shikamaru forced himself into an unsteady run, occasionally tripping and nearly falling. It took only moments before his lungs once again burned with the exertion, beads of sweat trickling down his face.

Time began to run together, seconds felt like minutes and minutes like seconds. Shikamaru was unsure of how long he had been running along the now rocky desert floor, how long it had been since he had fallen from the top of that dune. It took a nearly superhuman effort just for Shikamaru to raise his head enough to gauge how far he was from Suna.

'_I almost made it…'_

The last thing Shikamaru remembered was the desert floor rushing forward to meet him.

* * *

A soft breeze flittered across Shikamaru's cheek, joined moments later by the feeling of warm sunlight caressing his face. With a sigh, Shikamaru allowed himself to sink back towards sleep; this was far too good a feeling to waste by waking up. Shikamaru groaned as an annoyingly logical part of his mind warned that, at the moment, he was trapped in a ferocious sandstorm. These feelings of comfort were likely hallucinations from exposure and dehydration. Much to his dismay, these logical thoughts seemed to have no need of his assent—already the soft breeze had entirely disappeared.

'_Troublesome'_

As much as he wanted to sleep, it was probably not worth dying…at least now that the breeze had stopped. With another sigh, Shikamaru forced his eyes open.

For a brief moment, Shikamaru found himself contemplating what kind of jutsu was necessary to turn the sky a solid, uniform white. An avid cloud watcher, he was certain this wasn't normal.

"Shikamaru…"

The sound of Temari's whisper immediately cleared Shikamaru's mind of the dregs of his exhaustion. Turning his head, he found her sitting beside him, hands folded in her lap, and worry clouding her eyes. Shikamaru allowed himself to relax further into the soft mattress underneath him, and willingly lost himself in Temari's emerald eyes. After several long moments, he felt sleep again rise to meet him, his eyelids slowly sliding shut.

"YOU IDIOT!"

Shikamaru's eyes snapped back open.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? What half-assed reasoning made it seem like a good idea to try and outrun a sandstorm? You almost got yourself killed!"

Temari ended her tongue lashing by bringing a pillow down as hard as she could on Shikamaru's head; his muffled complaints bringing a satisfied smirk to her face.

"Just be happy it wasn't my fan."

Removing the pillow, Temari fixed the Konoha shinobi with a glare; "If you ever do something that stupid again, I swear I'll kill you myself."

Shikamaru, able to breathe again, simply sighed; it was pointless to argue with her, even if it wasn't his fault. Taking his silence as acquiescence, Temari visibly calmed, again seating herself at the side of his bed.

"You're lucky one of the sentries saw you running like a mad man towards Suna. When you fell, he went out to find you despite the storm."

Temari gave him another stiff glare, "You're damn lucky he's almost as stupid as you ar-"

Two stiff knocks interrupted Temari, followed seconds later by the door swinging open. Shikamaru immediately recognized the intricate purple makeup and black clothing of Kankuro. The sand jounin barely acknowledged the Konoha shinobi, sparing only a single, short glance in his direction before turning toward his sister.

"Temari, dinner's ready."

Temari nodded at her younger brother, "I'll be right down". Kankuro simply grunted in acknowledgement and left.

"The doctors said you'll be fine. You just need to stay in bed today, and take it easy tomorrow. I'll bring you some food after we finish.", with that Temari stood and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Shikamaru turned back towards the white ceiling, his brow furrowing in thought. Something was wrong; Kankuro wasn't the sort of guy to go all the way to the hospital just to tell his sister dinner was ready. And the way Temari was talking, it sounded like she would be eating right down stairs. Shikamaru's eyes left the ceiling and began to wander. The room he was in was furnished with a bed, desk, chair, and dresser. Near the door Temari had left from, her fan leaned against what looked like a closet. Shikamaru's eyes widened as he gazed at the dresser. On top sat a picture of Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara, and beside it a small, ragged doll. His heart pounding in his chest, Shikamaru slipped out of the bed and stumbled to the dresser, pulling open the top drawer. Shikamaru's heart stopped, and a blush crept up his face. There was no mistake; the drawer held a woman's underwear—a woman about the size of Temari. An image of Temari clad only in the sheer, netted underwear appeared in Shikamaru's mind, an image he didn't quite have the willpower to push aside. Closing the drawer, Shikamaru stumbled back to the bed.

' _Temari's bed. '_

The thought sent a shiver down his spine; he was staying in the Kazekage's home, and sleeping in the bed of his sister—the only kunoichi to ever hold his interest. Shikamaru slid his weary body back under the soft sheets.

' _I'm either the luckiest man in Suna or the deadest…'_

With a weary sigh, Shikamaru rolled towards the chair Temari had been seated in; noticing, for the first time, a small black fan with a silver flower design sitting in Temari's place. As exhaustion pulled him back toward sleep, Shikamaru smiled—remembering the light breeze tickling his cheek.

* * *

When Temari returned to her room, she found Shikamaru passed out in her bed, a wistful smile on his face. Moving as softly as possible, she closed the door behind her and moved to the side of the bed, sitting lightly on the edge. She stayed seated, simply looking at Shikamaru's sleeping form for several minutes. Finally, she reached a cautious hand forward and lightly brushed a stray piece of hair behind his ear. At the feel of her warm hand, Shikamaru let out a contented sigh, unconsciously attempting to move closer to the gentle warmth.

Hidden in the shadows of the room, Temari allowed herself to smile at the man beside her and revel in the feelings that were quickly overwhelming her. Hesitantly, Temari permitted herself to lie down beside him—easily convincing herself that it was only for a moment. Shikamaru's arms wrapped around his new found source of warmth, pulling Temari's willing body against his. With a contented sigh, Temari's head dropped to Shikamaru's chest.

' _I'll just rest here for a few minutes…then …I'll…go…'_

Temari's eyes closed as the kunoichi willingly embraced sleep.

* * *

The sunlight played across Temari's face; warming her skin and slowly pulling her back to the world.

Temari's eyes snapped open as the details of the past night filtered through the morning haze; reacting on instinct, she pushed off the bed and landed a few feet away—putting as much distance as possible between her moment of weakness and herself.

' _This is all his fault; if he hadn't gotten himself hurt… '_

Temari realized her mistake as the sudden movement pulled Shikamaru out of his own slumber.

"Good Morning", Temari tried desperately to sound natural despite her frantically beating heart. Temari's heart dropped into her stomach as Shikamaru looked at her suspiciously.

Shikamaru stifled a yawn and brought his attention back to the puzzle before him; he had woken up to Temari in his room—not all that strange since it was actually hers. What was strange was that she had been…nice. Shikamaru felt a smile tugging at his lips; Temari should have slipped at least a comment on how long he slept in. If she was being nice, she was hiding something. Moreover, as if Temari's sudden departure from normal wasn't enough, the kunoichi before him looked disheveled, and—he was quite certain—she was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

Shikamaru's mind raced through possibilities and likelihoods, finally settling on one. It wasn't the most likely, but it was the one he desperately wanted to be true. Temari and he had always spent a lot of time together—their positions made it easy. Somewhere along the way, he had fallen for her. It had been years since he first acknowledged the possibility that he loved Temari, but the idea—and the feelings it evoked—was still as strong now as they had ever been.

"I'm sorry for stealing your bed Temari. Where did you end up sleeping?"

Unlike Temari's, Shikamaru's voice was pitched perfectly as only a polite question. The reaction from Temari was more than Shikamaru could have ever hope for. Her eyes left his, and her body unconsciously shifted partly into a fighting stance. Shikamaru read the gestures perfectly.

' _She's trying to protect herself…and she's about to lie to me '_

"I slept downstairs on the coach; I was just coming back up to change clothes and shower."

As if to give her words more credit Temari grabbed a towel out of her closet and made her way out of the room. A few short seconds later, Shikamaru heard a door close, and a shower start.

It was a good lie; Temari had covered all the abnormalities except her own behavior. For the first time, Shikamaru began to seriously consider the idea that Temari—the most troublesome woman he had ever met—had feelings for him. Despite himself, Shikamaru felt himself grinning as he laid back into the soft bed—Temari's bed.

* * *

Temari emerged from the bathroom, wet and clad only in the towel she had retrieved earlier. Shikamaru did everything in his power to appear nonchalant and prevent his eyes from leaving Temari's face—barley succeeding.

"I just need to grab clothes"

Despite her casual tone, Temari felt as though she'd been kicked. She was standing in front of the man she loved, wearing only a towel and he hadn't even batted an eyelash. Grabbing her clothes a bit more forcefully than she had intended, Temari began to walk towards the bathroom; stopping half way across the room at the sound of a door slamming, and a shower turning on. Running to the doorway, Temari confirmed her ears. The bathroom door was now closed.

"KANKURO! I was using that!"

If Kankuro heard Temari's furious shout, he made no reply.

"Damn it."

Turning back into the room, Temari closed the door behind her, and fixed Shikamaru with an angry glare.

"Close your eyes Shikamaru"

Shikamaru closed his eyes…and started counting.

'_17…18…19…20'_

As covertly as possible, Shikamaru allowed his right eye to open. Seeing Temari with her back turned, he allowed his left to open as well. Temari stood on the far side of the room next to the dresser. As he watched, she slowly tied her blond hair into the four tufts she always wore.

'_This is wrong…I shouldn't be—'_

Temari let her towel drop to the floor, and Shikamaru struggled to control himself as his eyes began to wander over Temari's long muscular legs, then upwards towards…

Shikamaru's conscience finally triumphed, and his eyes slammed shut.

The image of Temari's body did not, however, disappear. In his mind Shikamaru saw her standing in front of him almost as clearly as she had in reality. Shikamaru swallowed hard as he felt his willpower beginning to fade.

'_I'm going to die for this…'_

Shikamaru's eyes slowly reopened.

Temari was now wearing the black, meshed underwear he had found in her dresser, as well as the fishnets that obscured part of her right leg. Shikamaru felt his hands beginning to ache, begging for the chance to touch her creamy skin, to strip away the fishnets, and to—Shikamaru swallowed hard.

His eyes rose further, taking in the Temari's firm butt, partially obscured by her black underwear, and her long, toned back, again partially obscured by a strip of lacy black cloth.

Shikamaru watched Temari's every movement, his breathing coming faster and faster and his heart keeping pace. He was in danger; she would be putting on the kimono she had taken out next, and it was possible she would see him when she turned to pick it up. Worse, she might even check to make sure his eyes were closed. In either case, the probability he would be in excruciating pain very soon was steadily growing.

"I thought I told you to close your eyes, Shikamaru"

Shikamaru's heart stopped; Temari hadn't even turned around, yet she somehow knew he had been watching her. Without a word, Temari lifted her hand to point towards the photo of her and her brothers sitting on her dresser. With a groan Shikamaru finally noticed a small reflection of Temari's face sitting on the picture's glass.

Temari slowly turned to face the Konoha shinobi—and Shikamaru's heart started beating again, albeit far too quickly. Temari was, in the simplest words, beautiful. Shikamaru fought to breathe as the kunoichi took another step towards him.

"I hope you're enjoying looking at me like that because it's the last thing you're ever going to do", the words were exactly what he had expected from Temari, the tone of her voice was not.

Shikamaru tore his attention away from the beautiful ninja in front of him, concentrating not on Temari's threat, but on the subtle way her voice had changed. It took Shikamaru only moments before he put the pieces together.

Temari's voice was too low; there was no anger, no promise of pain. Moreover, she had had access to that reflection from the beginning, and yet, she had still dressed in front of him.

Temari took another step towards him, and—much to Temari's surprise—Shikamaru stood.

In that moment, years of desire tore loose from Shikamaru's careful control, and, for the first time in his life, he did something without considering the possibilities, without even thinking.

"You know Temari…that was a cruel thing you just did…and it's a game two can play."

Shikamaru closed the distance between them in a single step, his arms encircling Temari's waist and pulling her against him. His head dipped towards hers, his lips brushing against Temari's for the slightest moment, before continuing to her neck.

Temari's shock slowly gave way to pleasure as Shikamaru completely gave in to his feelings; despite herself, Temari felt her own hold on reality loosening as her lust and love began to build on one another. When she had first seen him, eyes open, in the picture's reflection she had dared to hope that he felt the same things for her that she did for him. Now, there was no question.

Shikamaru heard Temari gasp as he kissed her neck, gently sucking and running his tongue over the tender flesh. Shikamaru's gambit was rewarded with a soft moan as he moved slightly higher, slowly trailing kisses towards her lips. As he reached her lower lip, he ran his tongue across it, then over her upper as well—at once begging and demanding entrance.

Shikamaru vaguely felt Temari's hands grip his shoulders, then, without warning, he found himself at arms length. Shikamaru's lust clouded eyes found Temari's, the unvoiced question clear. Temari simply smirked, and placed a hand at the base of Shikamaru's neck. Her hand began to move slowly downward as Temari drew nearer, tracing the muscles and contours of Shikamaru's chest.

"You don't get all the fun."

Reaching his pants, Temari found the lip of the shirt and slid her hand underneath. Shikamaru had never felt anything like the sensations Temari's touch elicited; he found himself losing track of the sweat tortures he had intended to inflict on Temari, instead leaning headlong into his own. Temari watched Shikamaru's reaction with interest, smirking as his eyes glazed over with pleasure. In one fluid movement, Temari stripped Shikamaru of his shirt, running both her hands and eyes over his chiseled chest. With a contented moan, Temari finally closed the distance between them completely, sliding her tongue into his mouth and moaning when he returned the kiss with equal fervor.

How long they stood there, locked in one another's arms and kissing each other senseless, neither could tell. Temari locked her lips with Shikamaru's one last time, deliberately slowing the pace of the kiss. After several long moments, Temari pulled away, smiling sheepishly.

"It wasn't supposed to go this far…we should get dressed before…"

Shikamaru's lust-clouded mind vaguely registered Temari's words, but chose instead to focus on her sudden embarrassment; Shikamaru had never seen the brash Suna kunoichi even approach the emotion—she had always thrust herself into the world, taking whatever it gave. Seeing her in front of him, nervous, flushed, and…maybe even…blushing drove his desire even higher.

'_She's off balance; she really wasn't expecting this…'_

With a satisfied smirk, Shikamaru ignored Temari's request and crushed his lips back into hers, hearing a moan escape Temari as his tongue met hers. He wasn't sure what he wanted, but he was positive it wasn't for these feelings to end. Shikamaru's hands slid over Temari's back, down her abdomen, over her hips, before finally wrapping around her butt. His sudden squeeze elicited a gasp from Temari—somehow, the thought that he would be severely punished for every liberty he was taking only excited him more.

Somewhere, deep in the back of his mind, Shikamaru felt the rational part of his mind screaming to be heard, shouting that he didn't make sense, that he should listen to Temari. Shikamaru continued to ignore it.

Gripping Temari's butt tighter, Shikamaru lifted her; groaning with pleasure when she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist and clutched his neck tighter. Temari shifted her body slightly, and waves of pleasure coursed through Shikamaru's body; tightening his grip, Shikamaru managed to make it to Temari's bed and lay them down before he gave in—desperately grinding himself against Temari.

Pulling his lips off hers, Shikamaru again trailed kisses and bites down Temari's exposed neck.

"Shikamar-"

Hearing the unspoken appeal in her voice, Shikamaru returned to her lips, crushing her request and remaining self-control with his passionate kiss. Moments later, her hands were back on his body, tracing over the hard muscles of his back before curving around to the front of his pants. Shikamaru felt Temari fumble with the button for several seconds, then simply tear it off—stripping him of his pants scant moments later. Temari allowed her hands to trace the tight black underwear Shikamaru wore, running her hands over it she rested them on his butt-giving a strong squeeze and pulling his hips into hers a moment later.

Shikamaru felt a breathless moan escape his lips; he wanted—no needed to feel all of Temari against him. Giving her a chaste kiss, Shikamaru ground his hips against Temari's again before laying a trail of kisses down her neck and across the exposed parts of her chest. His right hand moved to slide the straps holding her bra in place out of the way as he repeatedly flicked his tongue over one of Temari's cloth covered nipples, watching as her head fell backwards and her back arched to bring her chest closer to his mouth.

Shikamaru, utterly consumed in continuing the flow of soft moans coming from Temari, and Temari, lost in the sensations of Shikamaru's wonderful ministrations, never heard the voices in the hallway, nor the door's handle turning.


	4. Kunai

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Hello, hello!**

**I'm glad you've made it this far (or perhaps more appropriately, that I haven't managed to scare you off yet). I hope to stray off the path a little bit from here on out, so this doesn't turn into just another ShikaTem. I hope you enjoy!**

**Let's see just how far the rabbit hole goes,**

_**M. Turing**_

**P.S.**

**Apologies for the lack of recent updates…that whole school thing. Good news: I'm on break. Bad news: not entirely sure how often I'll be updating. At the moment, I'm thinking there might be quite a bit of time between updates…but that might change…if people sound like they're interested in reading more…*cough*…review...**

**/AUTHOR'S NOTE**

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**Chapter 4: Kunai**

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The door's handle was cool in Kankuro's hand; behind him, he heard Gaara speaking softly with the two elderly councilors who'd taken it upon themselves to harass the Kazekage before the council meeting proper.

"Kazekage-sama, I think it would be wise to hold back our younger genin from the exams; it wouldn't do to send them before we can be…sure…of their abilities."

Gaara fixed the elderly ninja with his full attention, mentally preparing to battle both the suggestion and the isolationist rationale hiding below it, "Kantou-san, I understand your concerns, but don't you think it better we leave that decision up to their jounin instructors? "

"But Kazekage-sama, imagine the…repercussions…if their instructors have overestimated their—"

Kankuro felt the old man's nasal voice fading into the background; it was yet another of the many 'grave' mistakes his brother was making. Sometimes, he wondered how his brother could take it all—even now his knuckles were itching to send the pompous fool sliding across the carpet on his ass. It was hard enough making improvements, but now council members were even showing up at their house to continue harassing Gaara! Kankuro's fingers slowly wound themselves into two fists as his eyes narrowed on his two unsuspecting victims—Kantou still arguing with Gaara and his accomplice Chonko nodding his head vigorously beside him.

As if sensing his brother's increasingly hostile thoughts, Gaara suddenly looked up from his conversation, immediately catching Kankuro's eyes in his own unshakable gaze.

"Kankuro, Please make sure Temari's ready. We need to be leaving soon."

He had been about to do it anyway, but Gaara's words made it clear that his anger had been too visible. At this rate, Gaara might not even let him into the council room. Suppressing a snicker at the memory of Gaara forcibly restraining him from hurting a particularly stupid council member at the last meeting, Kankuro decided that he would most definitely not be allowed into the meeting. It was a good thing Temari would be there to help Gaara out. Kankuro's hand tightened around the knob to Temari's room and turned.

Through the small opening between the door and its frame, Kankuro glimpsed Shikamaru's feet—remembering with some amusement the leaf nin's desert adventure. "Shika—", Kankuro stuck his head past the door, "MARU"

The door slammed into the wall as Kankuro hurtled himself at the leaf nin who currently had his sister pinned in a rather compromising position on the bed.

'_Dead. That bastard is dead.'_

Kankuro's arm pulled back as he gathered chakra into his fist; Shikamaru reacted too slowly—he was wide open, and Kankuro had every intention of making him pay for it. Kankuro's fist flew forward, intent on crushing the right side of the leaf nin's face.

"TRAITOR!"

Kankuro almost tripped over himself, landing an awkward half-blow to Shikamaru's cheek.

"Kazekage-sama! This is unacceptable! Treason! Sedition! Guards!"

Turning, Kankuro found the source of the screaming-Chonko stood in the doorway, red faced, and pointing into Temari's room like he'd seen an enemy nin making off with Suna's greatest secrets. Seeing the obnoxious and apparently crazed man, Kankuro winced; he had only intended to crack the door open. Temari was going to kill him.

"Guards! Guards!"

Kankuro, for the life of him, couldn't understand what the senile man was yelling at, following the councilor's outstretched finger towards himself—no, towards…turning Kankuro followed the councilor's outstretched finger to Temari, running across Shikamaru's discarded Konoha headband in the process.

* * *

_Three days later…_

Shikamaru stared out the window of his new room-a simple apartment in one of Suna's inns. With a loud sigh, he let his head drop, wincing as his bruised cheek met his arm. That morning had gone from amazing to horrifying in the space of moments. Worst of all, he couldn't get that old man out of his mind. Closing his eyes, Shikamaru walked through the ordeal again.

The door opening, Kankuro hitting him, that annoying man's yells, but-worst of all—the man behind him, the one next to Gaara. Even after Gaara had ordered the loud one to be silent, the man's face had maintained the same smile—as though he had just … won something. It wasn't Gaara's orders that he move to his current room or the sudden disappearance of Temari and her brothers that bothered him, it was that stupid smile. The man hadn't said a word the entire time, but somehow…it just felt like trouble.

Shaking his head, Shikamaru attempted to forget, to pretend the entire thing hadn't happened. He had just arrived in Suna, and Temari and her brothers were simply too busy to talk to him…for three days straight…

Shikamaru vaguely noted the door opening silently behind him as he played through the horrifying incident yet again.

"Nara-san", the voice was low, barely audible, and completely devoid of feeling. Shikamaru suppressed the urge to shrink away as Gaara walked into his room, moving to stand beside his windowsill perch.

"I apologize for my lack of free time over the past few days. As I'm sure you're aware, something urgent came up".

Shikamaru found himself holding his breathe, "How bad is it?"

"It could be worse. Relations between shinobi of different villages, as I'm sure you're aware", Shikamaru swallowed hard at the emphasis, "are forbidden. Councilor Chonko wasn't exaggerating when he called for guards."

The silence stretched for several minutes—a time Shikamaru filled by directing every insult he knew at himself. There was no question; even in the progressive Konoha a relationship between two shinobi of different villages meant censure, removal from any sensitive information, demotion to C and D ranked missions, and likely an ANBU tail for good measure. That was, of course, for a regular shinobi—not one who had the power to sway the Hokage. This was not going to be good.

"What's the damage?", Shikamaru againt felt himself incapable of breathing, waiting for Gaara to deliver the news.

Without a word, Gaara turned and walked out the way he had come, leaving the door ajar. Shikamaru took the hint and followed the Kazekage, his apprehension building with every step.

Gaara finally stopped on the top floor of the inn, stepping out onto a balcony overlooking Suna's main square. Below them, Shikamaru could faintly hear music and laughter. Looking closer, Shikamaru found himself blinking in an attempt to clear his eyes: below him the Sunans were wearing not just colors, but _bright_ colors. Men dressed in blues and greens danced happily with women in reds, oranges, and pinks whilst children clad in every color of the rainbow chased each other. It was rare to see a Sunan deviate from dessert yellows and browns, but this many villagers—there must have been nearly a quarter of the village below him-all wearing such bright clothing was bizarre.

"They look happy don't they?"

Shikamaru looked questioningly at the Sunan leader, "What's going on?"

Gaara sighed as though a great weight had landed on his shoulders, breathing deep several times before answering.

"It's a celebration."

Shikamaru felt his interest fading, absently turning to the cloud-filled sky—maybe it would help him calm down until Gaara finally told him what was going to happen.

"They're celebrating a marriage, Shikamaru."

A cloud shaped like a kunai was slowly making its way towards an amorphous blob a small distance away. Shikamaru suddenly found the collision one of the most interesting things he had ever seen.

"If it were anyone else, the council would have left it to my discretion, but they wouldn't let this slide. She has too much sway to risk having her loyalties divided. I had no choice."

Shikamaru felt his stomach drop. Gaara wasn't saying…

A flash of blond hair caught Shikamaru's eye below. He could see Temari, her hair still tied into four distinctive bunches, making her way across the square. Shikamaru's throat tightened as he took in the soft white kimono she wore, and the children throwing flowers at her feet.

Shiamaru ripped his eyes away from the square and Temari to send a questioning glance toward Gaara—who kept his eyes trained on the square below.

Looking back, Shikamaru saw Temari stepping forward into the arms of a black clad man, her arms wrapping securely around his neck.

"He's a good man Shikamaru"

Temari smiled, then leaned forward—her lips brushing her husband's lightly before he pulled her tighter, deepening the kiss. Shikamaru felt a kunai bury itself in his heart as Temari's arms tightened around the man's neck, pulling him even further into the kiss.

"I've informed the Hokage of the situation, and she's agreed that it would be best if you left immediately."

* * *

_End Flashback_

It had been hours since Temari left his room; the moon had long ago crested in the sky, and was steadily marching towards the horizon. Lying on his bed, Shikamaru was as awake now as he had been the moment she left; the events of that horrible trip replaying continuously in his mind.


End file.
